


It's Better This Way

by CordeliaOllivander



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Facebook: Draco's Den, Mutual Pining, Sad Ending, Soulmates, Unrequited Love, soul marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 22:13:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20571755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CordeliaOllivander/pseuds/CordeliaOllivander
Summary: When your soulmate is on the opposite side of yours in a war, what else can you do but let them go?





	It's Better This Way

**Author's Note:**

> My submission for the Draco's Den Roll-A-Drabble Challenge! My prompts were Harry Potter, Naricssa Malfoy, and Soulmates.

_ Harry _

Harry had been staring at the pale yellow daffodil on the inside of his wrist for the past few hours. He traced it lightly, wondering if she could feel him. Wondering if she could sense his longing. He felt stupid, but most of all, he felt thrown away. As if his life was so insignificant he couldn’t even be given someone to love. 

Hermione walked over and sat beside him. He didn’t bother to look away from it anymore, she’d seen it before. 

“It’s a soul mark, Harry.” Hermione’s gentle voice seemed loud in their lonely tent. 

“I know.” 

“How long have you known?” 

Harry gazed at the small flower that represented his soulmate. “About... three years. Since the tournament I guess.” 

“What?” Her shocked voice making him grimace. 

“I’m sorry I never told you. I just... there’s no point in talking about it.” 

“You know who it is, don’t you.” She questioned. 

He nodded. “She has a lightning bolt in the same spot. I’ve seen it.” 

“Who is it, Harry?” 

He took a long time to answer her, he’d never said her name aloud. “Narcissa Malfoy.” 

Hermione gasped. “Oh, Harry.” 

“I’m over it, honestly.” He said quickly. “Everything is fine.” 

“Harry.” She squeezed in closer and grabbed his hand. “Everything is the farthest it could possibly be from fine.” 

That earned a smirk from him. “It’s a strange feeling to want absolutely nothing to do with your soulmate, but crave them at the same time. She’s practically a Death Eater herself.” 

“There has to be a reason-“ 

“No, I don’t think there is. This is the way my life goes, Hermione.” 

She laid her head on his shoulder, and they stayed like that for the rest of the night. 

* * *

“_Avada Kedavra!_” 

Harry was hit with a blast of green light so hard he was knocked backward and fell to the ground. When he was sent back to his body, he felt a warm hand on his chest. His wrist radiated that same warmth, and he knew it was her. He heard her sigh gently, so soft that he doubted anyone would notice. 

“Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?” 

“Yes.” He breathed, sure not to move a single muscle. Her thumb rubbed a small circle on his chest before she stood. 

“Dead.” 

Harry could have shivered with the conviction her voice held. 

* * *

The great hall was a mess. All around him were either people that had lost, were lost, or people that rejoiced the victory that Harry gave them. He couldn’t help it, he sought her out. He hated himself every time he did it, hated every hateful word they spewed at each other, but this was the way it was, and it could never be any different. 

His feet carried him towards her as Narcissa rose from her clustered husband and son. She walked with grace and dignity, and Harry couldn’t help but admire her for it. 

“Harry.” 

Harry jerked in surprise. She’d never addressed him by his first name before. “Narcissa.” 

“Thank you.” She held her hand out for him to accept. 

He took with without question. “My pleasure.” He quipped. Their hands met and he felt a surge of electricity at the touch. He almost closed his eyes at the pleasure of it. 

“We’re most grateful.” 

And then she ruined it. The high was gone, and Harry knew then, that nothing more could ever be. 

“Of course.” 

She released his hand and walked back to the corner of the great hall, accepting the embrace of her husband. Harry forced himself to watch, painfully aware that it’s better this way. 

* * *

_ Narcissa _

He was at it again, messing with his soul mark. The heat that radiates from her small lightning bolt made her shiver with relief._ He was alive._ At least he was safe, something he would never be if they were to be together. Not even if he won this awful war. They would never be accepted, not in this world, and she refused to live as anything else. 

So she made him hate her. She ridiculed him and said such hateful things whenever their paths crossed. She mocked Sirius, which hurt her heart to see the look on Harry’s face as she publicly disgraced his deceased godfather. Sirius Black never meant a thing to her, but to Harry he was everything, and she was disgusted with herself for doing it; but what choice did she have? She’d married Lucius, knowing he was not her soulmate. Once the word got out of the famous _Boy-Who-Lived_ and his lightning bolt scar, she knew. With no other choice, she stayed far away. She raised Draco to detest him, if only to ensure they would never meet. 

Fate seemed to have other ideas.

* * *

“_Avada Kedavra!_” 

Her feet propelled her forward without thinking. Was he alive? She felt that curse in her bones as if she were the one Voldemort had struck. Her hand hovered above his chest, his face was so peaceful, as if he were sleeping. She took a moment to memorize his face... she might never see it again. Placing her hand on his chest she felt his heartbeat, and couldn’t stop the relief that washed over her. 

“Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?” 

“Yes.” He barely breathed. 

She rose and looked Voldemort right in the eye, and summoned every single bit of willpower she had. “Dead.” 

* * *

She watched him move around the great hall, speaking to some but mostly looking around as if he were in a daze. People congratulated him, and cried on him. Some crowded him while others kept their distance, and Narcissa found it all quite comical that these people had no idea what to do around him. Their eyes met and she took a deep breath... it was now or never. Standing up from her dust covered corner she tried to walk with all the pride she no longer felt. 

“Harry.” 

The poor boy started in shock, and that in itself was another shot to her heart. 

“Narcissa.” 

“Thank you.” She held out her hand for him to take, knowing what the touch would do, but she couldn’t resist. She craved it. 

“My pleasure.” He joked. 

She had to stop her lips from curling into a smile. The moment he took her hand she was washed in the most content feeling she’d ever felt. “We’re most grateful.” 

She forced herself to look into his eyes, not willing to give herself the out her heart was desperately crying for. She needed to see his pain, see his acknowledgment of her rejection.

“Of course.” 

His voice was cold, but was else could she expect? Walking back to her family she felt his eyes on her the entire time. When Lucius embraced her she glanced at her wrist... the mark had faded to the dullest, saddest grey. She closed her eyes as they filled with tears...

It’s better this way. 


End file.
